Category Archives: Breaking News

Chase Sapphire cards offering rewards, statement credits for groceries

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Ten months into the COVID-19 pandemic, many consumers have settled into new routines and developed new spending patterns. One of the spending categories that hasn’t lost its popularity is groceries, as many people are cooking more at home and eating out less frequently.

See related: Grocery shopping and COVID-19: What’s changed and how to save money

Credit card issuers are adapting to these new patterns as well.

On Oct. 20, 2020, Chase announced it would be temporarily adding grocery rewards to the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card* and Chase Sapphire Reserve®. This comes on top of other limited time offers the issuer has recently added, such as limited time redemption options through Pay Yourself Back and gas and grocery store purchases counting toward the Reserve card’s $300 travel credit.

See related: Guide to Chase Pay Yourself Back

“Throughout this very unique year, we’ve provided our cardmembers flexibility and options to get the most out of their cards …  as well as limited time opportunities to earn more points on certain spending,” Chase said in a statement. “We want to continue to give our cardmembers ways to maximize value where they are spending today.”

On top of that, on Jan. 28, 2021, Chase added an offer for new Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholders: a one-time automatic $50 statement credit on grocery store purchases.

How the limited time grocery rewards work

Starting Nov. 1, 2020 and running through April 30, 2021, Sapphire Reserve cardmembers will earn 3 points per dollar on grocery store purchases, and Preferred cardmembers will earn 2 points per dollar, up to $1,000 in purchases per month. According to Chase, this will be automatic for existing and new cardmembers.

See related: Best credit cards for grocery shopping

This provides cardholders with an excellent opportunity to earn some of the most valuable travel points while travel is still limited.

The new offer also makes Sapphire cards more competitive when compared with the recently updated Chase Freedom card suite. In August, the issuer replaced the Chase Freedom with the Chase Freedom Flex and added three new valuable rewards categories to both the Freedom Flex and Chase Freedom Unlimited, namely bonus cash back on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards and on dining and drugstore purchases.

Considering neither Freedom card charges an annual fee and both earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points, some cardholders may be wondering if the Chase Sapphire Reserve is worth keeping during a time when most of its premium travel perks might go unused.

Fortunately, all the limited time offers coupled with temporary grocery rewards make it much easier to get value of these popular travel cards – even when you’re not traveling.

How the grocery statement credit works

Another incentive to apply for the Chase Sapphire Preferred card now is the new one-time $50 statement credit on grocery purchases.

New cardmembers will get access to the statement credit automatically and be able to use it for 12 months from the time of account opening. Eligible purchases include purchases made at merchants coded as grocery stores. Warehouse club purchases won’t qualify.

Chase hasn’t announced the offer’s expiration date yet.

Chase Sapphire cards value at a glance

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
Newly added limited-time benefits Cardmembers earn more on grocery store purchases: Nov. 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021

  • 3 points per $1 spent
  • Up to $1,000 in grocery store spend per month

Gas and grocery purchases count toward Sapphire Reserve $300 travel credit: 

  • Gas and groceries have been added as qualifying purchases, through June 30, 2021
 New cardmembers receive an automatic statement credit:

  • One-time $50 statement credit on eligible grocery store purchases available for 12 months from the account opening

Cardmembers earn more on grocery store purchases: Nov. 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021

  • 2 points per $1 spent
  • Up to $1,000 in grocery store spend per month
Existing benefits
  • 3 points per dollar on dining purchases with restaurants – including delivery and pick-up
  • 3 points per dollar on travel – including tolls and parking
  • Complimentary DashPass Subscription from DoorDash, valued at over $100 per year
  • Up to $120 in statement credits on DoorDash purchases – $60 in statement credits through 2020 and another $60 in statement credits through 2021
  • 10 points per dollar on Lyft rides
  • Complimentary Lyft Pink membership, worth a minimum of $199 in value when you activate by March 21, 2022
  • Pay Yourself Back: Points are worth 50% more now through April 20, 2021 when redeemed for purchases in current categories of grocery, dining, home improvement and contributions to select charities
  • Chase Dining: Points are worth 50% more when redeemed through the new Chase Dining hub in Ultimate Rewards, now through April 30, 2021
  • 2 points per dollar on dining purchases with restaurants – including delivery and pick-up
  • 2 points per dollar on travel – including tolls and parking
  • Complimentary DashPass Subscription from DoorDash, valued at over $100 per year
  • 5 points on per dollar on Lyft rides
  • Pay Yourself Back: Points are worth 25% more now through April 20, 2021 when redeemed for purchases in current categories of grocery, dining, home improvement and contributions to select charities
  • Chase Dining: Points are worth 25% more when redeemed through the new Chase Dining hub in Ultimate Rewards, now through April 30, 2021

 

Bottom line

While travel isn’t the most lucrative rewards category at the moment, your Chase Sapphire card can still bring you plenty of value, especially given the temporary rewards categories and other limited time offers.

*All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer. This offer is no longer available on our site.

Source: creditcards.com

Amazon Prime Card offering new Whole Foods card art, limited-time bonus

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On Jan. 20, Chase announced a new card design option for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card featuring Whole Foods Market art and added a limited-time sign-up bonus offer for those who prefer to shop at Whole Foods in-store.

Amazon has become a leader in grocery shopping during the pandemic, with consumers avoiding grocery stores due to health safety concerns – not to mention the convenience of shopping from a web browser. Amazon Prime members can enjoy speedy free delivery, as well as get access to online shopping at Whole Foods Market and special member deals when shopping in-store.

They can also count on extra savings if they carry the Amazon Prime Rewards card from Chase – or if they’re looking to apply in the next few weeks.

Here’s what you need to know.

Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature card
Amazon Prime Card Whole Foods

Our rating: 3.8 out of 5
Score required: Good to excellent
Type of card: Cash back
Spending categories: Amazon, Whole Foods, restaurants, gas stations, drug stores
  • 5% back on Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases
  • 2% back on restaurant, gas station and drug store purchases
  • 1% back on other purchases
  • $70 Amazon.com gift card upon approval or $100 statement credit after spending $100 at Whole Foods in first 2 months
  • No annual fee

Our take: While the Amazon Prime Rewards card offers excellent cash back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, it might not be the best choice for customers who don’t currently have a Prime membership and aren’t looking to subscribe.

A new Whole Foods card design and limited-time offer

Chase introduced a new card design option for new Amazon Prime Rewards cardholders, featuring Whole Foods Market art. New cardmembers with an eligible Prime membership can choose the new design when they apply for the card. If you’re an existing cardholder and would like to switch to the new design option, you can call in to request a new card after Jan. 22.

If you frequently shop at Whole Foods in-store, the new limited-time introductory offer can also be exciting news for you. Through March 3, new Amazon Prime Rewards Visa cardholders can earn a $100 statement credit after spending $100 in Whole Foods Market stores in the first two months from account opening. Alternatively, they can still choose the standard $70 Amazon gift card offer as a sign-up bonus.

Considering the standard bonus is lower, the new temporary offer might be a better deal. On the other hand, if you avoid shopping in-store or normally use Amazon Fresh for buying groceries, the gift card might make more sense for you.

Should I start shopping at Whole Foods if I have an Amazon credit card?

If you already shop at Whole Foods, the 5% back with the Amazon Prime Rewards Signature Visa and 10% off specially marked items is a good deal. The discounts, though, don’t make Whole Foods cheaper than other grocery stores.

In fact, according to a study from 2019, Whole Foods remains the most expensive grocery store with its prices at 34% above Walmart, which was reported to have the lowest prices overall. If your goal is to save on groceries, Whole Foods is evidently not the best option – even if you carry the Amazon Prime card.

Other cards to consider

The Amazon Prime Card isn’t the only option you should consider if you often shop on Amazon or at Whole Foods.

See related: Which is the best card to use on Amazon.com purchases?

For instance, with the Chase Amazon.com Rewards Visa card, you can get a $50 Amazon gift card upon approval and earn 3% on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases, 2% percent at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores and 1% on all else. If you don’t have a Prime membership and aren’t looking to subscribe, this is a good option, since the card doesn’t require a cardholder to be a member.

If you do have a membership and shop on Amazon a lot, the Amazon Prime card is a better deal. With 5% for purchases made at Whole Foods and on Amazon, 2% at restaurants, gas stations and drugstores and 1% on all else, this card is hard to beat for Amazon and Whole Foods lovers.

If you’re looking for a card to buy groceries, consider the Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express, which could save you more than the Amazon Prime Visa at Whole Foods. Why? Blue Cash Preferred cardholders earn 6% cash back at U.S. supermarkets (up to $6,000 in purchases per year, then 1%).

See related: Best credit cards for grocery shopping

Bottom line

You can now stack your rewards at Whole Foods, earning cash back and the limited-time bonus with the Amazon Prime Card, and you can get extra savings from the loyalty program. Whether it makes sense to shop at Whole Foods, even with rewards cards and the loyalty program, is up to you.

Source: creditcards.com

Average credit card interest rates: Week of January 20, 2021

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The average credit card interest rate is 16.05%.

U.S. credit card lenders once again declined to revise APRs on some of the country best-known cards, according to the CreditCards.com Weekly Credit Card Rate Report. None of the 100 cards tracked weekly by CreditCards.com advertised new rates. As a result, the average starting APR for brand-new cards remained at 16.05% for the eighth consecutive week.

APRs have remained within rounding distance of 16% for nearly 10 consecutive months

APRs on brand-new credit cards have remained unusually stable for months now. For example, the average new card APR hasn’t wavered by more than a quarter of a percentage point since April and it has remained just above 16% since mid-November. Earlier in the year, the average card APR briefly dipped to 15.97%, which is the lowest APR average CreditCards.com has recorded since 2017. But for most of 2020, the average card APR remained above 16%.

Despite their current stability, average APRs are dramatically lower than they were a year ago when the average APR began 2020 at 17.30%.

At that time, even cardholders with excellent credit were likely to be assigned rates as high as 17% or more. Today, by contrast, few general market cards that are marketed to borrowers with the best credit charge such high rates.

Among the 100 cards tracked by CreditCards.com, for example, only one general market card for borrowers with excellent credit currently charges a minimum APR above 16.99%. The Capital One Venture Rewards Card starts APRs at 17.24% and caps them at 24.49%. But most comparable cards charge lower rates.

Among travel rewards cards, for example:

  • The Bank of America® Premium Rewards® card and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card both start APRs at 15.99%
  • The APRs on the high-end Chase Sapphire Reserve card and Citi Prestige® Card start at 16.99%.
  • The minimum APR on the Discover it® Miles card is 11.99% while the APRs on a number of popular airline cards, such as the Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Premier Credit Card, the Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card and the Frontier Airlines World Mastercard from Barclays, start below 16%.

The average maximum card APR is also significantly lower. For example, the average maximum APR for all 100 cards included in the CreditCards.com rate report is currently 23.55%. The average median APR is 19.8%.

Capital One’s decision to leave rates alone last spring leaves it out of step with other issuers

When the Federal Reserve cut federal interest rates by more than a full percentage point last spring, Capital One was the only major, nationwide issuer not to match the central bank’s rate cut on new general market cards. As a result, cardholders with lower scores are less likely than other cardholders these days to secure a significantly lower APR than what they would have been able to get a year ago.

That’s because Capital One is one of the leading issuers of cards for borrowers with fair credit. Its line of subprime cards continues to charge the same 26.99% APR the cards advertised for much of last winter.

However, borrowers with lower scores do have more options than they had a year ago if they compare rates with other issuers. For example:

  • The Discover it® Secured card and the BankAmericard Secured Credit Card currently offer a 22.99% APR.
  • The Citi® Secured Mastercard® card starts APRs at 22.49%.

Not all lenders have given borrowers with bad credit a reprieve, though, amid the pandemic. For example, U.S. Bank dramatically hiked the APR on its flagship secured card, pushing the card’s only APR to 25.99%. As a result, the average APR for all subprime cards tracked by CreditCards.com is the same as it was a year ago: 25.3%.

The average APR for rewards cards, by contrast, has fallen from 17.11% to 15.76%, while the average low interest card APR has tumbled from 14.1% to 12.77%.

See related: How do credit card APRs work?

*All information about the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card and the Citi Prestige has been collected independently by CreditCards.com and has not been reviewed by the issuer. This offer is no longer available on our site.

CreditCards.com’s Weekly Rate Report

Avg. APR Last week 6 months ago
National average 16.05% 16.05% 16.03%
Low interest 12.77% 12.77% 12.83%
Cash back 15.85% 15.85% 16.09%
Balance transfer 13.85% 13.85% 13.93%
Business 13.91% 13.91% 13.91%
Student 16.12% 16.12% 16.12%
Airline 15.53% 15.53% 15.48%
Rewards 15.76% 15.76% 15.82%
Instant approval 18.38% 18.38% 18.65%
Bad credit 25.30% 25.30% 24.43%
Methodology: The national average credit card APR is comprised of 100 of the most popular credit cards in the country, including cards from dozens of leading U.S. issuers and representing every card category listed above. (Introductory, or teaser, rates are not included in the calculation.)
Source: CreditCards.com
Updated: January 20, 2021

Historic interest rates by card type

Some credit cards charge even higher rates, on average. The type of rate you get will depend in part on the category of credit card you own. For example, even the best travel credit cards often charge higher rates than basic, low interest credit cards.

CreditCards.com has been calculating average rates for a wide variety of credit card categories, including student cards, balance transfer cards, cash back cards and more, since 2007.

How to get a low credit card interest rate

Your odds of getting approved for a card’s lowest rate will increase the more you improve your credit score. Some factors that influence your credit card APR will be out of your control, such as the length of time you’ve been handling credit.

However, even if you’re new to credit or are rebuilding your score, there are steps you can take to ensure a lower APR. For example:

  1. Pay your bills on time. The single most important factor influencing your credit score – and your ability to win a lower rate – is your track record of making on-time payments. Lenders are more likely to trust you with a competitive APR – and other positive terms, such as a big credit limit – if you have a lengthy history of paying your bills on time.
  2. Keep your balances low. Lenders also want to see that you are responsible with your credit and don’t overcharge. As a result, credit scores take into account the amount of credit you’re using, compared to how much credit you’ve been given. This is known as your credit utilization ratio. Typically, the lower your ratio, the better. For example, personal finance experts often recommend that you keep your balances well below 30% of your total credit limit.
  3. Build a lengthy and diverse credit history. Lenders also like to see that you’ve been successfully using credit for a long time and have experience with different types of credit, including revolving credit and installment loans. As a result, credit scores, such as the FICO score and VantageScore, factor in the average length of your credit history and the types of loans you’ve handled (which is known as your credit mix). To keep your credit history as long as possible, continue to use your oldest credit card so your lender doesn’t close it.
  4. Call your lender. If you’ve successfully owned a credit card for a long time, you may be able to convince your lender to lower your interest rate – especially if you have excellent credit. Reach out to your lender and ask if they’d be willing to negotiate a lower APR.
  5. Monitor your credit report. Check your credit reports regularly to make sure you’re being accurately scored. The last thing you want is for a mistake or unauthorized account to drag down your credit score. You have the right to check your credit reports from each major credit bureau (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) once per year for free through AnnualCreditReport.com.

Source: creditcards.com

How to dispute an error in your TransUnion credit report

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The economic uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has left many people concerned about their finances.

That makes it more important than ever to keep an eye on your credit report, and report any errors you find to the three main credit reporting agencies.

Complaints about credit reporting agencies filed with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau soared from 2018 to 2019. The majority of complaints were centered on incorrect information on credit reports and problems related to ongoing investigations.

Last year, more than 154,000 complaints about credit reporting agencies were filed with the CFPB. They made up almost 45% of the total complaints filed with the bureau. In contrast, they comprised less than one-quarter of complaints in 2018.

Of the three credit reporting agencies – TransUnion, Experian and Equifax – TransUnion racked up the most complaints. Of those complaints about TransUnion, 24,800 were related to incorrect information on a credit report and 8,300 involved problems with the agency’s investigation into an ongoing issue.

Almost 70% of the complaints about incorrect information involving TransUnion revolved around information belonging to someone else being included in the complainant’s credit report.

More than three-quarters of the complaints about ongoing investigations involved the agency failing to correct errors on reports.

Incorrect information on your credit report can reduce your credit score, which could result in you being charged higher interest rates on credit cards and loans. You could also be turned down if you apply for new credit.

See related: How to apply for a credit card and get approved

Request your credit report

If you want to check if your credit report is correct, you can request a copy from TransUnion, as well as from Equifax and Experian.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, TransUnion, Experian and Equifax will provide you with your credit report for free each week until April 20, 2021. You can request your reports through the site AnnualCreditReport.com. The credit reports don’t include your credit score.

Normally, you’re allowed one free copy of your credit report from each of the credit reporting agencies every year under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Requesting a copy of your report will not impact your credit score.

The CFPB says common errors to look for in your credit report include:

  • The wrong name, address or phone number on your report
  • Accounts belonging to someone else, whose name is similar to yours
  • Accounts opened under your name due to identity theft
  • Accounts that have been closed but are listed as open
  • Accounts incorrectly listed as late
  • The same debt listed more than once
  • Incorrect balances on accounts
  • Incorrect information reappearing on the account after it was already corrected

How to file a dispute

If you spot a problem with your credit report from TransUnion, you can file a dispute online, at the company’s website. There is no charge for disputing an item.

TransUnion credit report dispute center

You’ll need to set up a free account with TransUnion and provide some basic information about yourself, such as date of birth and home address, so the company can verify your identity

On the website, you can dispute everything from the name and address that is listed on your credit report to information about your credit cards and mortgages to your bankruptcy records.

Your credit accounts include information on the date you opened the account, your current balance and payment status, and you can dispute any of the information listed there.

For disputes over your credit accounts or information found in public records, TransUnion requires you to provide a reason as to why you are disputing the information.

The credit agency suggests you include corroborating information, such as records from your lender. You can upload those to your dispute.

You can add a consumer statement to explain any negative items that appear on your credit report.

If you don’t have easy access to a computer, you can also mail a dispute to:

TransUnion Consumer Solutions
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016-2000

Or, you can call 833-395-6941 between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday.

See related: How to dispute an error in your Experian credit report

What to expect

TransUnion says most disputes are investigated within two weeks, but some take up to 30 days.

The credit reporting agency says it may do everything from updating your credit report based on the information you provided, to asking the lender to review the information to determine if the information on your credit report is correct.

If a creditor doesn’t respond within 30 days, TransUnion will delete the item from your credit report.

When the investigation is finished, TransUnion will send you an email and you can log in to its site to see the results.

If you don’t agree with the results, the company recommends you contact your lender directly with more information about your claim. If the lender agrees that your information is correct, it is required to contact TransUnion and tell it to update or delete the information that is in dispute.

Bottom line

It’s important to have errors removed from your credit report, which might help raise your credit score and entitle you to better interest rates.

Source: creditcards.com